Family and Fire
The family house seemed smaller now than Cass remembered, the paint peeling on the porch rails, the front yard overgrown with weeds his father never bothered to mow. Maybe because his life was becoming much bigger soo fast.
Roan pulled the car to the curb and parked. Cass stared at the front door through the windshield, heart thudding against his ribs like it wanted out.
“You sure about this?” Roan asked, voice quiet, paw resting on the gear shift. Cass stared down at the black furry paw resting on the shift, his mind stalling, hypnotizing himself. The same paw that has explored inside him, has gripped his shaft, has been covered with ropes of his own cum, has been slick with lube. Now it was dry and strong looking, comforting, anchoring Cass amidst the worry and chaos.
Cass swallowed. “Yeah. I need to see them. At least once more."
Roan nodded, and squeezed Cass on the shoulder, a very much welcome gesture from the wolf. “I’ve got your back, pup.”
They stepped out. The night air was cool, carrying the faint scent of cut grass from somewhere down the street. The porch light flickered on as they approached, and the door opened before Cass could knock.
His mother stood there, small and graying, eyes wide. She didn’t hesitate. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Cass, pulling him tight like he was still ten years old. Tears glittered in her eyes.
“Cass, honey!”
Cass embraced her back. He loved his mother, his whole family really, even though they don't all understand what he is doing.
Then she turned to Roan, who stood a respectful step back, ears low. She hesitated only a second before hugging him too, awkward at first, then firm. “You’re the one keeping him safe,” she said. “Thank you. And wow aren't you something to see. I never seen a wolf... well I mean a wolf person, up close before. Come to think of it I never seen a four legged wolf before. Just dogs. Anyway, nice to meet you... Roan?”
Roan’s muzzle dipped. “I’m keeping him safe, ma’am. Nothing's gonna get through me. Not that there's any reason anyone would try, things are casual with us, not much excitement.”
Cass' mother looked fascinated by the wolf. Watching one talk, Cass knew, was interesting in itself. (And a dirty thought creeping in his head like it often does: watching one go down on his cock, his flesh vanishing inside that furred muzzle, and swallowing him till his black lined lips press his pubic area and his balls, was also a fascinating sight.)
Cass’s father appeared behind her, arms crossed, face unreadable. He looked older, lines deeper around his eyes. He didn’t move to hug anyone. Just looked at Cass, then at Roan, then back.
“Take care of yourself,” he said. That was it. No welcome, no anger, just those four words before he turned and disappeared inside.
Cass felt something twist in his chest, but he didn’t chase after him. His mother squeezed his hand. “Mandy’s waiting inside. She wants to see you both.”
Mandy burst out of the living room like a firecracker, arms wide, blonde hair flowing. “You absolute idiot,” she laughed, tackling Cass in a hug that nearly knocked him over. “You went viral and didn’t even text me? And you got a hot wolf boyfriend, what the f--”
She was twenty and very open minded, for sure.
She pulled back, eyes sparkling, then looked at Roan. “Holy shit. You’re taller in person. Look like a beast too! I mean... strong wise... do you work out to get like that?”
Roan’s tail gave a small wag. “Well, I do many physical things, not exactly weight lifting. Nice to meet you properly.”
Mandy grinned. “Oh I've seen some of the physical things you do. My brother, for one."
"C'mon, Mandy, keep it in check," Cass said.
"Mandy!" the mother exclaimed.
Mandy ignored it and continued. "Dinner. My treat. I want to hear everything. And I mean everything.”
They piled into the car, Roan driving, Cass in the passenger seat, Mandy in the back. The diner was the same one they’d gone to as kids: red vinyl booths, neon sign buzzing, smell of grease and coffee. It felt surreal to be here with Roan, the wolf’s bulk barely fitting in the booth, golden eyes scanning the room out of habit.
Mandy slid in across from them, leaning forward. “Okay. Real talk. Can I see it?”
Cass blinked. “See what?”
She rolled her eyes. “The wolf.... dick. Come on. I’ve seen the videos. I’m curious. You know me, I'm not shy, no chill at all. I have to see one in person.”
Roan let out a low chuckle. “You sure?”
Mandy nodded, eyes bright.
Roan glanced at Cass, who shrugged, cheeks burning but amused. Roan unzipped his jeans under the table, paw sliding into the sheath. The red length emerged slow and thick, knot already half-swollen at the base. Mandy’s breath caught.
“Jesus,” she whispered. “That’s… impressive. It slides out of that housing thing... it's really red, is it wet or just looks wet?”
Roan stroked himself once, slow, letting her look. “It's just a little slick, and your brother says it's way warmer than he expected."
"Alright, put it away please, Alpha," Cass said. "We'll get caught."
Mandy laughed, shaking her head. “You’re both insane. And you're hot, wolf. Damn Cass you suck on that ahhahaha."
"Chiiiillllllllll," Cass said, face beet red.
Roan tucked himself away, zipping up just as the waitress arrived with menus. They ordered burgers, fries, milkshakes...normal, human things in a world that no longer felt normal. Roan ordered steak as well. Mandy was paying, even though Roan was the wealthiest one here, with many incomes between the resistance, knothub, and other endeavors. He even had a 'cursed silver' dagger, which Roan suggests would sell for well over a million dollars. But really that weapon is on loan to him while he is a 'operative' or whatever he would call himself. It is owned by the resistance and council, so selling it is not an option.
Mandy leaned in, voice lower. “So… tell me about the pack house. Is it like a commune? Do you all just… fuck all the time?”
Cass snorted into his soda. “It’s more complicated. But yeah. Sometimes.”
Roan’s paw found Cass’s under the table, warm and steady. “It’s home now. For both of us.”
Mandy’s eyes softened. “I’m glad you’re okay. I was scared when the video dropped. People were saying awful things.”
Cass shrugged. “They still are. But I’ve got him. And the pack. It’s enough.”
The food arrived, and they ate, talked, laughed. Mandy asking about Roan’s life, Roan telling stories of resistance missions (carefully omitting a lot), Cass filling in the gaps. For a while, it felt like old times. Like family.
Then the windows shattered, glass spraying across the diner tables.
Black shapes poured through, panthers, sleek and deadly, bodies massive and intimidating, and they were moving fast. The other patrons screamed and some tables were overturned, chaos erupted. A human couple at the counter went down, blood blooming across shirts after a quick series of claw strikes from a panther. They wore black, militant looking clothes.
Roan was on his feet in an instant, shoving Cass and Mandy behind the booth. “Stay low!”
Cass grabbed Mandy’s arm, pulling her toward the kitchen door. “Go! Get out the back!”
Mandy hesitated, eyes wide. “Cass...”
“Go!”
She bolted. Cass turned back just as a panther lunged at Roan. The wolf met him mid-air, turning his momentum aside and wrapping a arm around the panther's neck. Another panther slammed into Cass from the side, knocking him against the counter. Pain flared in his ribs.
Humans screamed, running, some bleeding on the floor. Panthers moved like shadows, coordinated, purposeful. One held a camera, phone or small rig, filming everything. Cass heard the back diner door slam, his sister had made it out.
Despite Roan's combat abilities they were simply overwhelmed, and Roan didn't push the attack while there were guns and claws aimed at soo many innocents.
They stood at gunpoint from several of the panthers, along with other humans, all in a state of pseudo surrender, unspoken.
The leader stepped forward, black fur gleaming, voice a low growl. “No more coexistence. Humans are inferior. Weak. No humans will be safe in this country, not anymore.”
The speech continued, promising more attacks, making demands that Cass didn't really listen to, with his blood pumping in his ears. What should they do? Fight? Are they going to be executed after this speech?"
The lead panther pointed at Roan. “You. Resistance dog. Where are the safe houses? Speak, or we start killing.”
He knows me? Roan thought.
Humans didn't know about the resistance. Roan had filled Cass in on some of it. There were those in the anthro underground, well connected, powerful physically and influence, even aligned with corrupt humans, that wanted war with humankind, or at least to replace the status quo and dominant humans.
Roan snarled, blood on his muzzle from the first panther. “Go fuck yourself, kitten.” He was putting lives at risk, but the resistance had a code. They wouldn't be threatened into anything, they wouldn't give the enemy that power over them. And Roan already knew from the looks in their eyes, these panthers weren't going to leave anyone alive.
The leader’s claws flashed. Roan braced for the attack, expecting to have provoked it on himself, but instead the panther drove them into Cass’s stomach, piercing deep. Pain exploded, searing-hot, blinding his vision with wobbly sparkles. Cass screamed, dropping to his knees, blood soaking his shirt.
Roan roared, but the panthers held him down, claws at his throat.
The leader raised a pistol, barrel to Cass’s head. “Last chance. Safe houses. Or the human dies.”
Cass gasped through the pain, blood bubbling on his lips. “Don’t… Roan… don’t tell them...”
When Roan is in a relaxed state for long enough, such as having a dinner and cock tease at a diner with Cass and his sister, his innate ability goes into cooldown. He can't summon his immense unnatural strength at the drop of a hat. But enough excitement and adrenaline had coursed through him, and he felt the familiar intoxicating warm and cold in his veins signaling his power was ready.
Roan surged, body between Cass and the panthers, bullets already hitting him in his furry stomach, but Roan was in a rage, innate strength ripping through the panthers holding him. He grabbed the leader’s arm, the one with the gun, and tore. Flesh and muscle shredded. The arm came away nearly clean, bone snapping like dry wood. The leader howled, and the other panthers hesitated.
Bullets sprayed as the others opened fire. Rounds punched into Roan’s chest, shoulder, side. He didn’t stop. He roared, a berserker sound that shook the walls, and charged.
He grabbed a table, flipped it like it weighed nothing, and slammed it into the panthers. They crashed through the window in a shower of glass and fur, the wall beneath the window giving way. Roan drew his own pistol, unloaded regular rounds into them, center mass, head, over and over until they stopped moving.
The innate power filled his mind with a drug like haze, lowering his inhibitions. He loaded his cursed silver rounds (he began carrying two now, fuck what the council says) and he coldly dumped them into the skull and heart of two of the panthers. The bastards were not getting away without losses from this!
The diner fell silent except for the ringing in Cass’s ears.
Roan staggered back to him, blood pouring from his wounds, fur matted red. He scooped Cass up, cradling him against his chest.
“Mandy?” Cass gasped.
“Safe. She got out. Come on.”
They stumbled to the car. Roan dumped Cass in the passenger seat, slid behind the wheel, and floored it. Tires screamed. The diner shrank in the rearview.
Cass’s vision blurred. Pain throbbed in his gut, heat and wetness but also numbness. Blood soaked the seat.
“Hold on, pup,” Roan rasped, voice thick. “We’re almost home.”
The pack house appeared through the trees. Kiran and Zariel burst out the front door before the car even stopped.
Zariel yanked the passenger door open, lifting Cass gently. “Easy, pup. We’ve got you.”
Kiran reached for Roan, eyes wide with terror. “Alpha?”
“Worry about Cass,” Roan growled, pulling bullets out of his own chest with shaking paws. “I’ll heal. He won’t.”
They carried Cass inside. Kiran was already on the phone, the fox's voice shaking, genuine upset. “It’s bad. His gut is torn into. Panther claws."
Zariel laid Cass on the kitchen table, ripping his shirt open. Blood welled from the deep gashes.
Cass looked up at Zariel, vision swimming. “Tell… Mandy… I’m okay.”
Zariel’s massive paw pressed gauze to the wound. “You will be. Help’s coming. Hold on.”
Roan staggered in, shirt shredded, bullet holes closing slowly. He knelt beside Cass, paw on his forehead.
“I’m here, pup,” he whispered. “Stay with me.”
Cass tried to smile through the pain.
The world narrowed to the sound of his own heartbeat, the warmth of pack around him, and the distant hope of help on the way.
End of Chapter 9.
If you enjoyed this story, consider supporting the author on Patreon.
